Will this lid on 55g drum work?

Hey yall,

Gathering supplies over the winter for a spring RMH build. I have Erica and Ernie’s book and have read multiple times. I got my drums with the lid and ring on it but realized I’m unsure if I can use the lid  given they’ve got these little plastic lids for the pour opening.

Will it work?

Hi Sarah;
Welcome to Permies!

There might be a standard metal fitting under that plastic cap.
If so, perhaps the plastic unscrews and a metal cap would fit on.

EDIT) To answer your question, No, the plastic would melt.

You were right! There IS a metal fitting in there! Thank goodness.

Do I need to weld these closed or do the threaded metal fittings seal enough on their own?

Thanks for this community, we moved to 5 acres last year and I’m falling in love with the permits community!

Be sure to fully remove them and check for a plastic gasket.
If it has one remove it.
No need to weld, just tighten it down and if you like put a bit of Rutland retort cement on it.

Sarah Weber ogden wrote:Hey yall,

Gathering supplies over the winter for a spring RMH build. I have Erica and Ernie’s book and have read multiple times. I got my drums with the lid and ring on it but realized I’m unsure if I can use the lid  given they’ve got these little plastic lids for the pour opening.

Will it work?

I am curious, in what aspect your intending to use the lid?   if your going to have a single barrel  bell for maximum instant heat, the open end would be down.

If your going to have a double barrel- tall barrel bell, the open end down, with the bottom of the lower barrel cut out and up,  and the second barrel "top" would attach to the bottom barrel's bottom which would be up,   clear as mud perhaps, but it works and I have done many times.

Most of the time, the big lip of the barrel top when in contact to the bottom lip of a barrel the band that held the lid on, now connects the two barrels.   But STILL NO lids are used?  So am curious in what fashion your intending the lids to be used?

This sounds like a traditional J-Tube build.
With a single barrel system, the bottom is cut open and the lid goes up to allow for easy riser inspection.

That makes sense too!